Pain from the Past
by KeybladeSamurai
Summary: We all know that Aichi lives with his mother, Shizuka, and his sister, Emi. But what about his father? What happened to him? Get ready to find out.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Well here's my first Cardfight! Vanguard fanfic. I noticed how there doesn't seem to be any fics regarding Aichi's father. This fic will change that. It takes place during Season 1 before the match against Team Caesar and after Aichi is free from Psyqualia. Also, this will have a AichixMisaki pairing.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Cardfight! Vanguard.**

_Nothing. That was all Aichi Sendou could see. He couldn't even see himself. He was confused as to what was going on. Just as he was about to ask what was going on? His vision had changed to a different environment. There was fire all around._

"_I'd say 'see you again', but I would be lying!" A voice shouted. A voice that was familiar to Aichi. He turned to see someone he hoped he wouldn't see again. A man who has forever haunted his dreams.  
_

_"Dad!" A young voice shouted. Aichi turned and was shocked at who it was. It was himself as a child. He was clutching onto the white blood stained shirt of a man on the ground. The lower half of his body was pinned by a burning beam. The man had Chestnut brown hair, and blue eyes. Aichi would never forget that face, for it was that of the man he always looked up to growing up…until that day._

"_Aichi, you need to go." The man muttered weakly, referring to the nearby door that would guarantee the boy's safety. "No! I can't!" The young Aichi shouted in tears. The man only gave a small smile at that and took something out of his pocket. It was a Vanguard Deck Box. "Protect him, everyone." The man muttered before handing the Deck Box to Aichi. The man then used the last of his strength to grab Aichi and throw him to the door. Just as he did so, the ceiling came crashing down on him, leaving Aichi alone._

"_NOOOO!"_

Aichi woke up with a start, his face sweating profusely and his heart pounding. He looked around to find that he was back in his room. He sighed heavily as he realized it was morning. He then looked at the calendar and realized what day it was.

"_I see. So it's that time of year again._" Aichi thought. A knock snapped him out of his thoughts. "Aichi! Are you awake yet?" a familiar voice asked from the other side of the door. "Yeah. I'm up Emi." Aichi called to his sister. Emi wouldn't know what time of year it was because she wasn't born at the time. "Well, you better hurry. Breakfast is ready and getting cold." With those words, Emi headed downstairs.

As Aichi got out of bed, he noticed his Royal Paladin deck sitting on his desk. "I forgot I left that on my desk." He mused as he started changing his clothes. He was now dressed in his red shirt, blue jacket, and blue jeans. Aichi then went to take his deck, but hesitated. His thoughts went back to when he was being controlled by his power, Psyqualia. He realized how he acted towards his friends. Kai, Kamui…Misaki.

Aichi always felt a pain in his heart when he saw Misaki ever since that day. He felt like she was looking at him in an entirely different way. "_I can't see them. Not today._" With reluctance, Aichi did not take the deck off the desk. The only difference that was made to it lately was Aichi removing 'Alfred Early' from it and giving it back to Kai. Though Kai said that Aichi could keep it, he gave it back anyway. He didn't feel right using that card.

With that thought in mind, Aichi left his room, and his deck in it. As he walked down the stairs to put on his shoes, his mother, Shizuka Sendou, noticed him and let out a sad smile, knowing what he was doing. "Going to visit him?" She asked. Aichi merely nodded, not turning to her.

"I'm sure he would appreciate that." She said. "I'll be home by tonight." Aichi said, heading out. Emi went into the hall to see what was taking so long. "Where are you going?" She asked. Aichi hesitated, not knowing what to tell her exactly. "Aichi is heading out to think about the match he has coming up." Shizuka said, saving Aichi. "Oh." Emi simply stated. "Well, be sure to be back by tonight." She then said. "I will." Aichi said. "I'll meet you at Card Capital later." Emi said. Aichi barely contained the wince and left.

Aichi arrived at the local cemetery and paused. Though it had only been a year since his last visit, a lot has changed in his life. Ever since he started playing Vanguard, he made friends, went to different places. Everything was perfect. But things fell apart when he let himself be overwhelmed by the mysterious Psyqualia.

Though his friends said they forgive him, Aichi wouldn't. He still blames himself and has tried to distance himself.

Aichi then shook his head out of that thought and entered the graveyard, looking around for one particular tombstone. It didn't take him long as it stood out greatly. It was a large, stone long sword. Below were the inscribed words.

"_Through the bonds shared among us, we stand strong.-_

_Kohaku Sendou"_

"Hi Dad." Aichi said. He knelt down towards the stone. There is never a response, but Aichi still feels as though his Dad was right there, listening. "Here we are again. One year later. A lot has changed since then. I actually started playing Vanguard."

Aichi then paused as if his father gave a big grin at those words. Aichi let out a smile. "I figured you would be happy about that. I even have an avatar. Blaster Blade." Aichi paused again, imagining Kohaku letting out a small chuckle at that. "Yeah I know. Talk about irony."

"When I started playing Vanguard, I made new friends instantly." Aichi paused, picturing Kohaku giving a smile, glad that his son said those words. "First there's Kai Toshiki, who gave me Blaster Blade." Aichi imagined his dad letting out a confused look. "I wanted to make my own deck of Royal Paladins. The cards you gave me belong to you and you alone." He could imagine his father giving a look of understanding. "Anyway, Kai uses Kagero."

"Next there's Miwa Taishi, Kai's best friend. Funny enough, he acts so much like you I first thought we were distant relatives." Now Aichi could imagine Kohaku busting a gut laughing. Aichi let out an embarrassed look and said. "It's not that funny." Aichi's father would by then calm down and motion Aichi to continue.

"Also, you know Morikawa, the guy that used to bully me? Well, now we hang out and let our units do the fighting. Though, he could stand to swap out a few of his Grade 3s. Izaki is alright too. He is definitely fun to fight with." Aichi could practically see Kohaku beaming, glad that Aichi does not have any bullying troubles anymore.

"Then there's Kamui Katsuragi. He's actually Emi's age and pretty good with his Nova Grapplers. He has two friends with him named Eiji and Reiji. And before you ask, no they're not twins. Don't tell anyone this, but he has a crush on Emi." While most fathers would be protective of his daughters, Kohaku is more of the teasing type.

"Lastly we have…Misaki Tokura." Aichi couldn't let out that he had a crush on the violet haired girl, but the blushing face could easily give it away. "Her uncle runs the Card Shop I visit regularly. They also have a cat for an assistant manager." Kohaku would probably give a raised eyebrow. "Don't ask."

"Anyway, Misaki uses Oracle Think Tank. She also has a perfect memory. She would only give a card a glance and instantly recall everything about it. She also taught me the importance of Grade 3s. Emi even sees her like a big sister." The more Aichi would talk about Misaki, the more he would think about her.

Aichi then shook his head and decided to get it over with. "Dad…recently, I haven't been doing so well." He could imagine Kohaku giving him a concerned look. "Lately, I have been using Shadow Paladins and a power called Psyqualia. And ever since, I haven't been seeing my friends." Before he imagined his father's response, he explained. "Actually, I have just been avoiding them. They say they forgive me, but I can't."

A twig snapped and broke Aichi's thoughts. He turned to see a man in a dark hooded coat standing next to a crypt. "Who are you?" He asked. "Really now. Did you forget me already?" The man said. Aichi's eyes widened as he recognized the voice.

"Y-you?! What are you doing here? You're supposed to be in prison." Aichi said. "Simple. I escaped. And while I normally would not seek revenge, your recent Cardfights have placed you on my list. So it would be _killing_ two birds with one stone." The man put the extra emphasis on 'killing'.

"If you want to fight. Fine." Aichi reached to his pocket, then remembered he left his Royal Paladin deck at home. The man noticed this and chuckled. "Sounds like you weren't planning on fighting today. No matter. We shall meet the day after tomorrow and fight then. Until that time comes, farewell." With those words, the man vanished behind the crypt.

Aichi ran behind the crypt to see the man nowhere to be seen. He then turned to Kohaku's grave. "Looks like I'll be fighting sooner than I thought. But I promise, Dad. I'll make sure he goes back behind bars where he belongs." With that determination, Aichi turned and headed for home. Had he not done so, he would have noticed another figure amongst the trees behind the grave. Standing there with her long violet hair blown by the wind, blue eyes showing concern, white top under a blue vest, white skirt and boots, and a golden heart shaped key around her neck, was Misaki Tokura, who had followed Aichi to the cemetery

"Aichi…"

**There we go folks, Chapter one of this fanfic done. Oddly enough, it only took me a week to write this. How is it that I can write one fic's chapter in a week's time, yet it takes me months to come up with a chapter for another? By the way, there's a petition going on to stop anyone using any SOPA Policies. You'll find the link on my page. Anyway, be sure to review while I keep on writing.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here we go. Another chapter of my Vanguard fic. We last left off at the cemetery where Aichi was visiting his Dad. He was then approached by a man. His name wasn't given but Aichi definitely knew him. And now he plans on fighting him on the day after tomorrow. But what he didn't realize was someone was watching him ever since he set foot in the cemetery. Misaki. And now, onto the fic.**

The Sendou household has been quiet ever since Aichi left. Emi had already left for Card Capital, leaving Shizuka Sendou alone in the house. As she cleaned the dishes from the breakfast she and Emi had, she couldn't help but look towards the picture on the windowsill above the sink. Up front was Aichi as young and innocent as any child would be at that age.

Behind him on the right stood her. She had started wearing a long azure dress after the baby bump from Emi started showing. She also had her hair down back then, but after Emi was born, she always kept it in a ponytail for fear of constantly reminding Aichi of that day.

Speaking of which, right next to her in the photo stood her one true love, Kohaku Sendou. Every year when this day comes by, she would always remember all the times she and her husband had shared throughout their lives. A smile never fails to appear on her face when she thought of how they met. She was a new girl in school and was especially shy. That had changed when she met Kohaku. Though one year above her, they would do everything together. A tear would fall whenever she thinks of how he proposed to her. Under a full moon at the spot where they had their first kiss.

Then the tears really started to flow when she thought of when Aichi was born. Ever since, Kohaku had never failed to be there for him. Like Aichi, Kohaku played Vanguard. He was one of the best Royal Paladin users in the game and had promised to teach Aichi when he was old enough. Unfortunately, his skill in Vanguard also made _him_ appear in their lives.

The young widow would never forgive that man for taking her love away, for preventing Emi to grow up with a father. But most of all, she will never forgive _him_ for severing the bond between Kohaku and Aichi.

Just then, the doorbell went off. Shizuka quickly wiped her tears before moving to the door. She opened it and saw that there was a letter in the mailbox. She took it out and looked at the name. When she did however, her face has gone as pale as a ghost as her legs wobbled.

"N-no. I-it's not p-possible." She stuttered before her legs gave in from shock.

Meanwhile, at Card Capital, Misaki had gotten back a long while ago and was manning the counter while everyone else was Cardfighting. She couldn't help but think about what she saw back at the graveyard. When she saw Aichi walking past the graveyard, she noticed how sad he was. Fearing that he was thinking about the Psyqualia incident again, she quickly followed him to make sure he didn't do anything drastic.

She was surprised when she saw him enter the very same cemetery her parents were buried in. The violet haired girl hurriedly took another entrance to the graveyard, and after finding Aichi, hid in a group of trees. She couldn't hear what he was saying since she was so far away. But when she saw the blue haired boy turn to see the black coated man, she could make out several feelings Aichi had in his eyes. Shock, fear, and anger.

It was strange to see all three of those emotions in him. She couldn't help but worry for him. She didn't look at who's grave Aichi was visiting, fearing she may have seen too much. What really worries her is what that man wanted with Aichi.

Ever since she had her first fight against Aichi, she couldn't help but feel a bit attracted to him for some reason. Was it the childlike innocence? The way he looked brave whenever he played his avatar, Blaster Blade? The way his voice gets into her very soul? The way his eyes are like deep pools that she always feel entranced when she stares into-

"_Get back on topic, Misaki! Something is wrong with Aichi and you have no idea what!_" The violet haired girl let out a sad sigh, worrying about the boy who has captured her heart.

"Misaki?" Emi's voice snapped Misaki out of her thoughts. She turned to see the brown haired girl looking at her, worried.

"Is something wrong?" she asked. Not wanting Emi to get involved, Misaki tried to put on a brave smile and shook her head.

"No, I'm alright. I was just thinking." But Emi wasn't buying it. She saw that her big sister figure was worried about something. It was just like with her brother and mother.

Every year around this time, she would find those two with saddened looks on their faces. Whenever she would ask what was wrong, she would always get the same answer. _"I'm fine Emi. It's nothing to worry about."_

"No, you're hiding something." Misaki was taken aback by the little girl's response.

"It's bad enough that I get this from Aichi and Mom. I won't take it from you. Please, tell me what's wrong."

Misaki was saved from answering Emi's pleas because that's when the door opened. Everyone looked to see who it was and Emi was shocked at who.

Standing there, panting from running, was Shizuka Sendou.

"Mom?" Emi hurried over to check on her.

"E-Emi *huff**huff* I-is Aichi here? P-please tell me Aichi is here." But Emi merely shook her head. Right then, Shizuka started crying, falling on her knees. Emi couldn't help but worry, but not as much as Misaki. "_Oh no! Did something happen to Aichi after I left him alone? Is he hurt? Or even worse, is he-_"

"M-Mom?" A familiar voice broke Misaki from her inner rant. Everyone turned to the door see Aichi.

"Mom, what happened?" He asked hurrying to check on her. When he saw that his mother wasn't home, he hurried to Card Capital, worrying if _he_ did anything to his family before seeing him at the cemetery.

"A-Aichi." Shizuka let out before grabbing onto him, pulling him into an embrace.

"T-thank goodness you're alright." She cried into him. Aichi simply returned it, thankful that his mother was alright.

"What do you mean? Is Aichi in some sort of trouble?" Emi asked. Shizuka broke from the hug turned to Emi, as if wondering if she should tell her.

"Um, excuse me?" The Sendous turned to see Shin Nitta.

"I can see this is a family matter. Would you like use the back room to talk?" He offered. Shizuka couldn't have been more grateful. After wiping her tears, she nodded. Getting up, she turned to her son.

"Aichi, I think it's time to tell her the truth." Aichi nodded at that before he said, "I want to tell the others in Q4 as well." Shizuka was ready to protest when Aichi held out his hand.

"They're in as much danger as me. I need to make sure they know about the danger they're facing."

As soon as those words left Aichi's mouth, his teammates couldn't help but be curious as to what danger they could be in. Shizuka let out a sigh before letting out a sad smile.

"You act more and more like him every day." She said, which led her son to make a sad smile of his own.

The family made their way to the shop's back room, with Aichi gesturing his team to follow them. Not only did Misaki, Kai, and Kamui follow, but Shin as well seeing as he is the team's manager. Miwa, acting quickly, hurried to the counter to deal with any customers.

Team Q4 and the Sendou family are now assembled in the back, waiting. Shizuka and Aichi each had a glass of water to calm down.

"Alright. Now where to begin?" Shizuka asked.

"Maybe you can start with why you came to Card Capital looking for Big Bro Aichi." Kamui suggested. Shizuka was a bit confused as to why he called Aichi 'Big Bro' but decided to follow the suggestion.

She reached into her pocket and pulled out the envelope she received in the mail. Aichi gasped, haven't seen it before.

"I found this in the mail. There was no return address, only a name telling who it was from. That's when I started worrying about Aichi and hurried over to here." Shizuka explained. Everyone took a closer look but Aichi, seeing as he knows who it was from.

As they looked at the name, everyone's faces except for Emi and Kamui gone slightly pale.

"N-no way." Shin denied.

"I don't believe it." Kai said, not stuttering but still shocked at who was out to get them.

Misaki didn't say anything, just looked at Aichi, worried for his safety.

"What's this person have to do with this?" Emi asked, not getting why everyone is scared.

"Yeah. What does this 'Takeshi Nishino' have to do with this?" Kamui asked, seeing everyone but Emi flinch.

Kai decided to explain, not wanting to beat around the bush. "Takeshi Nishino is a serial killer. His victims normally consist of skilled Vanguard players."

Misaki continued from there. "He used to play Vanguard himself. He was even a regional champion. That is until his humiliating defeat one year after he got his title."

Shin took over at that time. "His first victims were his former teammates, who turned out gave away his strategies to the team that took his title away in exchange of 10,000,000 yen. Ever since then, he would target any Vanguard player who has been making names for themselves, fight them, and then kill them. Whether they win or lose is unknown due to him being long gone by the time the body is found."

Although Kamui started going pale when he realized he's a target himself, Emi didn't understand why this Nishino person would be going after them specifically. "But why would this guy go after you guys in particular?"

"Because of me." Aichi spoke for the first time. Everyone looked at him, confused.

"What do you mean?" Misaki asked, scared of the answer.

Shizuka started to answer for him. "It's because Nishino's last victim was-"

"Mom!" Aichi interrupted. Shizuka looked at her confused. "I think it would be best if I told them." Shizuka looked unsure, but nodded nonetheless.

"The last victim of Nishino's killing spree…was Kohaku Sendou." Everyone except him and his mother gasped when the name 'Sendou' was mentioned.

"Y-you mean…" Shin said, unable to finish.

"The last victim…was my dad." Aichi said, with a saddened tone.

Emi was in shock. The reason she grew up without a father…was because he died at the hands of a madman?

Aichi wanted to stop right there, but he knew he shouldn't. "_They deserve to know._" With that thought, Aichi began the story of that day.

*Flashback in Aichi's POV*

_About eight years ago, my parents and I were at the park in the afternoon. Mom was 4 months pregnant with Emi, so the baby bump was already showing. Dad and I were playing a game of hide and seek._

"…_8…9…10! Ready or not, here I come!" Dad called out. The park may have been a big place, but Dad knew me so well, that he knew I wouldn't go too far. He started looking around him._

"_Where could he be?" He wondered aloud. _

"_You better not take too long like a year ago." Mom said, making Dad flinch. _

"_Game gets dragged out one time, and you just can't let it go, can you?" _

"_Not when it's dragged out till Nightfall." Mom pointed out. _

"_Hey! In my defense, we didn't set any limits that time. This time it's different." _

_The banter would have gone on longer if I hadn't let out that scream._

_Dropping the banter, my dad hurried over to where my scream came from. When he arrived, he stopped in shock. _

_Takeshi Nishino had a knife to my throat. He wore a black collared coat with bloodstains on the sleeves. He also wore a black shirt with a demonic looking skull on it, black pants, and brown cargo boots. _

"_Don't move, or your boy may have a cut that just might need more than a bandage." He threatened. _

"_D-Dad, I'm scared." I stuttered, too scared to move._

_My Dad knew who he was because any Vanguard player who makes it high on any official tournaments are warned about him. _

"_What do you want?" Dad asked. "To fight of course." Nishino said. _

"_Just let my son go, and we'll fight alright." Dad said. _

"_You know me better than that. Or at least I should hope so." Nishino decided to cut to the chase. _

"_Meet me at the docks. Warehouse 666 at 6:30. If you bring anything and anyone other than your deck into the building, you will never see your runt again." Nishino was careful with his words. He wants people to be there after he gets the job done._

_With that threat hanging, he took off. With me in his clutches. He stuffed me in a windowless black van he had waiting, tied me up, and took off to the aforementioned warehouse. He wrapped a chain on me, attached a hook to the chain, and raised me up. I was between crates and there were no lights on me, so I was basically hidden in the shadows._

_Sure enough, five minutes before 6, there was my dad, his deck at the ready. _

"_I see you arrived early." _

"_Where is Aichi? If you did anything to him-" "Relax, pops. Your kid is safe." Nishino took out a remote and flipped a switch to turn on the lights. Dad turned and saw me._

"_But before you can both walk away, you know what you have to do first." In between Nishino and Dad, two fight tables had risen up. There were these black Vanguard gloves attached to them. They approached the tables closest to them, and set everything up for their fights._

"_Are you ready to scream?" Nishino asked. "Oh I'm ready. But I'm not the one who will scream." Dad retorted. _

"_Stand up! Vanguard!"_

_I was too busy struggling out of my bonds to pay attention to the fight, but I did see one unit. And it was one I rather not describe. _

"_Final Attack!" Nishino shouted. "Aaah!" My Dad shouted in pain. He was in so much pain that blood started to flow. _

"_No!" I shouted. With one final struggle, I was free. I hurried over to my Dad who was trying to gather up his cards. He was able to put them away before collapsing._

"_Hmph! And here I thought you were tough." Nishino said before he took out a match. That's when we realized that all of the crates around us had several tanks of gasoline. With a flick of the wrist, he tossed the lit match to a random crate, causing a fire to start and spread out quickly. _

_I didn't realize it, but there was a beam right above us. Dad did however. "Aichi, look out!" Dad shouted, quickly shoving me out of the way. The beam came down on Dad, landing on his legs. _

"_I'd say 'see you again', but I'd be lying!" Nishino shouted before making his escape. "Dad!" I shouted, running to him._

"_Aichi, you need to go." From the way my Dad sounded, he was getting weaker and weaker._

"_No! I can't!" I was on the brink of tears. Dad took out his deck. _

"_Protect him everyone." With those words, he gave me his deck, and with the last of his strength, tossed me over to the exit as the rest of the warehouse started crashing down on him._

"_NOOOOO!"_

*Flashback End*

"After that, I told the police what kind of van Nishino used. It turned out to be his regular getaway van, so it was easy to track him at that point. The police told me I was the only one to survive an encounter with Takeshi Nishino." Aichi ended his explanation.

"Ever since that day, on the anniversary of Kohaku's death, Aichi would always visit his grave." Shizuka said.

Everyone was shocked, but none more than Misaki. "_Poor Aichi. While there are orphans who lost their parents, Aichi actually had to live with witnessing his father's death._" She thought, tears forming from the sadness of the story.

"W-what did the letter say?" Kamui asked.

"Actually, the minute I saw who it was from, I hurried here as quickly as possible." Shizuka said.

"Maybe, if we read the letter, we can figure out where and when he would strike next." Shin suggested. Shizuka gave a nod at that, but Aichi didn't look so sure.

Shizuka hurriedly opened the letter and looked at the words.

_CoMe tO ThE pLacE whEre EveRyThiNg BegAn SO IT sHaLl be wheRE iT eNdS_

Everyone was confused as to what the words mean. It looked like the message was made out of several newspaper and magazine articles so it wouldn't be necessary to write it out.

"'Come to the place where everything began…" Aichi started. "…so it shall be where it ends?" Misaki finished, confused. "What does it mean?" Emi asked. No one knew how to answer that.

Shin decided to change the subject. "At any rate, I should notify the tournament officials that Nishino is on the loose in case they don't already know." With that, Shin moved to the nearest phone to place the call.

"Where will you guys stay?" Kamui asked, looking toward the family of three. "I mean, if this guy knows where you live, then staying there would be too frisky." He pointed.

"'Frisky'?" Aichi repeated.

"I think you mean 'risky'." Misaki corrected. Kamui let out an embarrassed blush.

"At any rate, he's right." Kai said. "It would be too dangerous for you to stay where you are." Aichi couldn't argue with that logic.

"But where are we going to go?" Emi asked. Misaki had one idea, and it would guarantee her the chance to make sure nothing happens to Aichi or his family.

"You can stay with us." At that point, Shin walked in, having warned the Vanguard committee about Takeshi Nishino.

"Come again?" Shin asked. Misaki turned to him. "If Aichi and his family stay with us, the chances of Nishino catching us off guard are practically non-existent." She argued.

"But are you sure you don't mind?" Aichi asked. Misaki turned to him and let out a soft smile. "Of course I don't mind." She said.

Shin could tell that there was no way Misaki would let this go. "Okay. They can stay here." He said.

The Sendou family turned to him, shocked that he agreed.

Shizuka then let out a smile. "Thank you." She said. Shin nodded.

"At any rate. The officials know that Nishino is on the loose so the tournament will be postponed for two weeks. If he isn't caught by then, they'll call it off." Shin said, which Team Q4 nodded. After all, no title is worth dying for.

With that, the Sendou family hurried over to their house to get everything ready for their stay with Misaki and Shin. The moment they entered the house, they split up and started packing what they needed. Shizuka made sure to pack a few photos that she couldn't bear to part with. Emi kept what she packed simple. Aichi however had packed more than just a few clothes. He also packed three Vanguard Decks. First there was the Shadow Paladin Deck Ren gave him. Then there was his Royal Paladin Deck. The last one was a deck he'd never thought of picking up for a long time. His father's Royal Paladin Deck.

As Aichi looked at the three decks, he couldn't help but think of the memories each one has. First there was his father's deck, which he had never touched ever since his father passed away. Then there was his own Royal Paladin deck. He couldn't help but smile at the many friends this deck helped him make. But the smile vanished whenever he looked at the Shadow Paladin deck. All of the pain he inflicted, how scared his friends looked. While he still could not forgive himself, he knew he was going to need all of the help he can get for his fight against Nishino.

Soon enough, they were standing outside Card Capital. Misaki noticed the Sendou family from her spot on the counter.

"Shin, I'm going to show Aichi and his family to their rooms!" Misaki called out. Before the manager could let out a response, the violet haired teen was already out the door and showing the Sendous to where they lived, which turned out to be right next to the shop.

"Okay you three. We were able to clear out a couple of rooms for you to stay in. Mrs. Sendou, you can stay in the guest room and Aichi, we were able to clear a room for you to sleep in." Misaki said.

"Wait a minute. What about me?" Emi asked.

"Simple. You'll be sleeping with me." Misaki said. Emi let out a smile as a response, glad she would be sleeping with the girl she sees as a sister.

Just then, a loud crashing was heard from above. Misaki, thinking quickly, hurried upstairs. At that moment, Shin entered just in time to hear Misaki's shout of frustration.

"Misaki, what's wrong?" Misaki didn't say anything, so everyone there walked upstairs to see Misaki glaring inside a room. Everyone looked to see boxes toppled over. It was practically a sea of cardboard.

"Which room is this?" Aichi asked.

"This room _was_ supposed to be where you were going to sleep." Misaki said to Aichi.

"Then where will Aichi sleep now?" Emi asked.

"Well, I could sleep on the couch." Aichi suggested.

But Misaki shook her head. "No. The only one who could sleep on the couch comfortably is Sub Manager."

"There's got to be another way." Shin said. Everyone thought long and hard about how they were going to solve this problem.

Emi then snapped her fingers. "I know. I can sleep in the guest room with Mom while Aichi stays with Misaki!"

Aichi and Misaki both sported faces so red it puts Dragonic Overlord to shame. "**WHAT?!**"

"I have no problems sleeping with Emi." Shizuka said.

Aichi, still blushing, looked towards Misaki who was doing the same to him.

"Well…if it helps him avoid the couch." Misaki muttered.

"Perfect. Then it's decided. I'll show Emi and her mother to the guest room. Misaki, you take Aichi to your room." Shin said cheerfully while leading Shizuka and Emi to their room.

"Come on, Aichi. I'll show you to my room." Misaki said, unable to suppress the blush on her face. Aichi merely nodded, not trusting his voice at the moment.

As Misaki opened the door to her room, Aichi took notice of how neat she kept it.

"I hope you'll like it here, Aichi." Misaki said, after getting rid of the blush. Aichi, still red in the face, merely nodded. "You can take my bed. I can always use the futon I keep in my closet whenever I have a friend over." Misaki said.

But Aichi shook his head, finally rid of the blush. "No, Misaki. You can take the bed. I'll take the futon. After all, I'll only be here for a couple of da- Weeks! I mean a couple of weeks." He said, trying to cover the slip up. After all, if he took the futon, he can sneak out of Misaki's bedroom to get ready for his fight with Nishino.

Misaki wasn't fooled, but let it rest for now. After taking the futon out, Misaki and Aichi laid it down on the floor next to Misaki's bed.

"If you need anything, just let me know okay." Misaki said.

"I will. Thanks again for letting us stay here Misaki." Aichi said.

"It's no problem Aichi. After all, you and your family did so much for me." Misaki said. Aichi looked confused at that statement.

"What did we do?" Aichi asked. Misaki let out a gentle smile. "You were my first opponent in Vanguard. And when I was planning on quitting Team Q4 after remembering my parents' deaths, it was Emi who taught me to think of all the good times I've had with my parents instead of the bad. You and Emi have become a part of my life. And no matter what happens, I'll always hold you close to my heart."

Aichi couldn't help but feel touched by what she said, so he gave a smile back. "Funny, I always felt _you_ were the one who did so much for _me_. Ever since I started going to Card Capital, you always tried to help me one way or another. You taught me the importance of Grade 3's, and ever since I've begun to grow as I play Vanguard more and more. And regardless of what happened, you were always with me every step of the way. Just like I've become a part of your life, you've become a part of mine. No matter what kind of troubles I face, I'll never forget you as long as I live, Misaki Tokura."

Misaki almost felt as though she was going to tear up at the touching words. As the two gazed in each other's eyes, it felt as though the world around them had faded. Though it was unknown why, there was a force drawing them and closer and closer. They held on to each other as they got even closer. Their lips' were only an inch apart when…

"Aichi! Misaki!" Emi's voice shouted from the hallway, snapping the two out of it. They quickly let go of each other and stepped away from each other, their faces a tomato red.

Emi was at the doorway a second later, after following Shin's directions. "Dinner is ready, you two." She then noticed that her brother and sister figure acting strange. "Um… Is something wrong?" She asked.

Misaki and Aichi both shook their heads. "It's nothing Emi." Misaki said. "Yeah, we were just getting a futon ready for me to sleep in." Aichi added. Since it was partially the truth, Emi believed them.

"Okay, but like I said, it's time to eat." She said, before heading to the kitchen. It was at that point the two stopped blushing.

"Well, we should hurry to dinner." Misaki said, slightly disappointed.

"R-right." Aichi said, still trying to believe what nearly happed.

With that, they began making their way to dinner, their minds lingering to what had occurred only a minute ago.

**And that's Chapter Two. With a wanted fugitive on the loose, the Sendous living at Misaki's place, and things heating up between Aichi and Misaki, you can bet your Deck that things will be even more interesting next chapter. While I am writing it (and working on my other two stories), be sure to leave a review.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry it took so long. College is tougher than I thought. Plus I'm working on the next chapters for my other stories. Anyway, here we are folks. Chapter Three of Pain of the Past. When we last left off, Aichi and his family had been invited to stay by Misaki. Room arrangements were made and at the last minute, Aichi ends up bunking with Misaki. The two share a touching moment and just as they were about to seal the deal, they were called to dinner. We now return to your regularly scheduled fanfiction.**

The Sendous were seated with Misaki and her uncle at the dinner table, eating their meals. Everyone was mostly silent, considering the circumstances. Aichi can't look at Misaki without going red at what happened…well, what nearly happened. Emi was quietly eating dinner and scratching Sub Manager behind the ears every now and then, which the cat seemed to enjoy judging from the purring.

Shizuka, wanting to break the silence, turned to Misaki. "So, Misaki. Can you tell me about yourself? I heard so much from Aichi and Emi so I can't help but be a bit curious."

Misaki was a bit nervous talking to the Sendou widow, but decided there was no harm in giving brief facts. "Well, as I'm sure Aichi and Emi told you, I use a deck consisting of Oracle Think Tank. I also have an eidetic memory, meaning I can take a brief glance and recall every detail."

"Oh? That's impressive." Shizuka said. "Yeah. I had it since my parents-" Misaki stopped herself. Shizuka seemed to understand why, so she didn't press further. In fact, she decided to change the subject. "So how well are you getting along with Aichi? I haven't heard much about his friends before he visited your shop, so I can't help but wonder."

Aichi was getting a bit embarrassed as the topic involved him, but Misaki answered anyway. "To be honest, when I first saw Aichi approach Kai, the brown haired boy you met, I couldn't help but worry about him. He was having his first Cardfight, so I could tell he was nervous." As Misaki spoke, images appeared in her head, matching her words.

"I guess Aichi and I really became friends after our first Cardfight." She sent a glare at her uncle, still a bit peeved at how he set her up like that. Shin had the decency to look sheepish. "Ever since then, Aichi and I have been doing many things together. Help each other with our decks, fighting in Nationals, even simply hanging out. I can't seem to remember doing anything without Aichi being involved one way or another."

Misaki can't help but give a tint of red as she thought more about her times with Aichi. "I'd say we got even closer after Emi got interested in Vanguard." Turning to Emi, she let out a smile as she thought of her first fight. "I lent my deck to Emi for her first fight, and I have to say, she was a natural. If she didn't make a Bermuda Triangle deck herself, I probably would have made an Oracle Think Tank Deck just for her." Emi made a small smile at the memory.

"In fact, she helped me think of the good times I had instead of the bad. You can say…I see her as a little sister." Emi's smile turned into a full-blown one at that. Shizuka let out a smile of her own, glad to know Emi had someone to look up to.

"Aichi…to be honest, I felt he had really become a part of my life." Misaki said, the red tint on her face not vanishing. "If it wasn't for him, I'm not sure where I would be right now." Aichi felt his own face heat up, but let out a smile of his own.

"My, Aichi. You sure have quite the girl here. I wonder how she would be as an in-law." Misaki and Aichi's faces went full on red. Shizuka tried to keep it to herself, she _really_ did, considering the circumstances behind them being here. But at this point, she couldn't resist. "MOM!" Aichi shouted, Shizuka and Emi giggling. Misaki kept quiet, for she was actually _thinking_ about the possibility of being Aichi's wife. She quickly shook her head of those thoughts.

"_Stupid. Aichi's being targeted by a serial killer and here you are, dreaming about marriage._" She thought. The meal ended shortly after that. When Shin suggested that everyone turn in, no one argued. Emi, however, seemed a bit reluctant. Misaki saw this. "Is something wrong, Emi?" She asked, concerned.

Emi, shook her head, but her face said otherwise. "Emi," Misaki pressed. "I know something's wrong. Please, tell me. Maybe I can help." As she said this, Misaki knelt down and placed her hand on Emi's shoulder.

"It's just…" Emi began. "…with all of this talk about a serial killer trying to target Aichi is getting to me. Especially the fact that this Nishino guy is responsible for killing my dad before I got to know him. I'm not sure if I'd be able to sleep tonight." Misaki couldn't blame the girl. After all, she had nightmares herself after her parents died.

Just then, a thought came to her. "I may have an idea that can get you to sleep. But first, let's get you in your PJs." Emi nodded a bit. It didn't take long for Emi to get changed considering she skipped washing up.

As Emi sat on the sofa with Misaki in her pink Pajamas, Misaki was dusting off an electric keyboard. Unknown to them, she had an audience other than Emi. Aichi was standing right outside the room. "Alright, Emi. I want you to listen well. This song always calmed me down whenever I felt frantic or restless." And with that, she began to play. After a few notes she opened her mouth and began to sing.

(Note: Song name: Yasashii Kioku. Vocalist: Izumi Kitta/Misaki Tokura. Style: romaji. I do not own this song.)

_tokei no hari wo modoshite_

_kaeritai jikan ga aruyo_

_atatakakutte, kusuguttakute_

_zutto tsuzukutte omotteta_

_souda yo ne toki wa sugiteku_

_wakatteru tsumori datta yo_

_demo kanashii kioku tsurakute_

_omoide mo tojikometeta_

_mou KOORU shitatte todokanai hi ni_

_oki wasureta DEKKI wo hirakeba…_

_ichimai, ichimai,_

_afurete kuru youni_

_tanoshii, ureshii_

_omoide ga koborete tomoranai_

_kesenai kioku no saki ni wa…_

_daiji na jikan ga atta…_

Misaki played a few more notes while taking a deep breath. Emi was completely amazed at how well Misaki can sing. But at the same time, she couldn't help but feel at ease when she listens to the words. Aichi had similar thoughts going through his head. Misaki then began singing the second verse.

_ano koro nani mo shirazu ni_

_yoroboku kao ga ureshikute_

_oboeta koto de ima koushite_

_nakama to aruite ikerunda_

_sou KOORU shinakucha ikenai koto no_

_kotae wa mou DEKKI ni atta kara…_

_arigatou, arigatou,_

_afurete kuru hodoni_

_ippai, ippai,_

_ai wo komete oite kuretande_

_tojikometa kioku no kagi…_

_mou nido to nakusanai yo…_

As Misaki continued playing, Aichi was so focused that he didn't realized someone was behind him. "Misaki is a wonderful singer." Aichi jumped at his mother's voice, turning to see her and Shin. Shin, however, was completely shocked. "That song…" He said. "Misaki hasn't sang that song since her parents died." Both Aichi and Shizuka were shocked at this.

"That song was a lullaby her parents taught her, allowing her to think of all the good times she lived through." Aichi couldn't believe what he was hearing so much, he almost missed Misaki started what appeared to be the final verse. It was easy to tell she was singing from the bottom of her heart.

_sou watashi wa hitori janaida,_

_yume oikakeru nakama to ikunda (asu e)_

_tsurai omoi wasurerarenai yo,_

_dakedo amari shinpai shinaide_

_warau kotow wa wasurete inai kara_

_ichimai, ichimai,_

_afurete kuru youni_

_tonoshii, ureshii,_

_omoide ga koborete tomaranai_

_kesenai kioku no saki ni wa…_

_yasashii egao_

_arigatou, arigatou,_

_afurete kuru hodoni_

_ippai, ippai,_

_ai wo komete oite kuretandane_

"_tanoshiii" wo oshiete kureta…_

_DEKKI to aruite iku yo…_

_sou zutto issho dayone…_

Misaki's song ended with a couple of notes. At the last note, there was an applause. It didn't come from just Emi, but Aichi, Shizuka, and Shin too. Misaki was shocked at the secret audience she had. "How long were you standing there?" She asked.

"Your uncle and I came as soon as you finished the first verse." Shizuka said. "I…actually saw you playing from the start." Aichi admitted, scratching behind his head. Misaki was blushing as red as a tomato at his words.

"To be honest…" Misaki said, her blush not going down. "That song was the first thing my eidetic memory recalled." Shin let out a smile, glad the first memory she recalls was that song. "You have a beautiful singing voice Misaki." Shizuka said. "Thank you." The violet haired girl replied. "Yeah. It's just as beautiful as you." Aichi said before his brain could stop him. Misaki's face grew even redder at his words. When Aichi realized what he said, his face began to match hers, much to everyone else's amusement.

Emi then let out a yawn, which Misaki smiled at (after fighting down the blush). "Looks like my song worked like a charm." Misaki then carefully picked up Emi and took her over to the guest room. She then placed Emi onto the bed and tucked her in. As she closed the door, she could make out the smile on Emi's sleeping face. She left the door open a crack in case Sub Manager wants to snuggle with Emi.

Misaki then turned to the others. "I think it's time for the rest of us to get some sleep." No one would argue with her. It was obvious everyone was tired. Although Aichi only acted tired, for he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep tonight.

Later on at night, everyone was fast asleep, except for one. Aichi carefully snuck out of Misaki's room with cards in hand. He sat in the living room, placing his cards on the table. As he spread out both his Royal Paladin and Shadow Paladin Decks, he couldn't help but glance at his father's deck. Although he knew the cards in his father's deck can help, he doesn't want to mix the decks up. After all, he had gotten this far without them.

Just then, without warning, his eyes flashed, activating his Psyqualia. He suddenly finds himself surrounded by the Paladins, Royal and Shadow alike. Both of the Blasters were standing in front. "We can tell you feel troubled Aichi." Blaster Blade said. "Yeah, I am." Aichi said, not bothering to lie. "I intend on facing Takeshi Nishino the day after tomorrow. I have to stop him before he restarts his killing streak."

"Is that really why you intend to fight Nishino, Aichi?" Blaster Dark asked. "Or is that an appropriate excuse for revenge?" Aichi opened his mouth to protest when something shocking happened. "I hate to agree with my brother here, Aichi, but he may be on to something." Aichi was shocked that his avatar would think he was out for revenge.

"But why would you think I-" "Aichi." A female voice intervened. Aichi recognized the voice as he turned to the source. It was High Dog Breeder, Akane who spoke. "We understand how you feel. After all, we had fought for you for a while." She said. You can tell by her face that she was concerned for Aichi.

"All of the Royal Paladins miss your father. After all, he was our Vanguard before you." Blaster Blade said. Blaster Dark closed his eyes and gave an actual smile. "I admit that even I have a respect for your father. After all, we all fought side by side at one time." Aichi was confused until it clicked in his head. "You mean Dad's teammates." Both Blasters nodded at the statement.

"All members of your father's team had a Paladin clan. One of whom was the Shadow Paladins." Blaster Blade said. Aichi thought back to how his father would have his teammates over and how each had a different Paladin clan. Although he can't remember the last one, he could recall two of the clans being Royal and Shadow. The team was called the Sanctuary Paladins.

"Your father was a true member of the Royal Paladins." The Paladins behind Blaster Blade parted to reveal the King of Knights, Alfred. Aichi remembers him well. Not only was he his main Grade 3 Royal Paladin, but one of his favorite Royal Paladins, right next to Blaster Blade. He also remembers Alfred as the avatar of one Kohaku Sendou.

"He would always show the true meaning of being a Royal Paladin. Not only does he show true courage in battle, but he never abandons his comrades. Unlike a certain clan I know." He made a glance towards Blaster Dark.

"However, the one thing he never does is let his mind be clouded with thoughts of anger and hate." Alfred continued, dismounting from Lionmane Stallion. Aichi looked down deep in thought. "_Are they right? Am I really just trying to get revenge?_" He then felt two hands placed on his shoulder, and looked up to Alfred and Blaster Blade. "Aichi, if you do want to face Takeshi Nishino, then answer this. Why do you fight?" Blaster Blade's question couldn't be answered. "We shall contact you tomorrow evening. I hope you will have your answer by then. For if you do not have an answer, you are doomed to fall at Nishino's hands."

The next thing Aichi knew, he was sitting back in Misaki's living room, the decks sitting on the table in front of him. His mind was on Alfred and Blaster Blade's words. "_'Why do I fight?' All this time and I'm not sure of the answer._" A meow brought Aichi out of his thoughts as he turned to see Sub Manager. "I know. I shouldn't be up. But I would appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone." As a response, Sub Manager hopped on Aichi's lap and nudged his head at him. Aichi smiled and petted the cat, who in return gave out a loud purr. Before he knew it, he ended up falling into a dreamless sleep.

As morning arrived, Shizuka followed Shin to the kitchen to help make breakfast, and the two stopped at quite the site. Aichi had his eyes closed and smiling with Sub Manager all curled up on his lap. The two adults couldn't help but smile at the sight and quietly made their way into the kitchen. Emi came down soon after and couldn't help but giggle at the sight. Normally she would try to wake him up, but she let it slide this time.

Misaki, on the other hand, looked frantic for Aichi wasn't in bed when she woke up. She quickly rushed downstairs, stopping at the sight before her. While she was tempted to hit Aichi for worrying her like that, she wouldn't because she didn't have the heart to break the peaceful moment like that. Still, she had to wake him up so he could get some breakfast.

She carefully walked to Aichi and shook his shoulder. "Time to get up Aichi." She said softly. Aichi let out a groan. "Five more minutes, Misaki." He muttered. Misaki let out a smile. "Sorry, Aichi. If you don't get up now, you're going to have a pain in your back all day." Aichi moaned and opened his eyes. Before they cleared up, Aichi thought he was seeing an angel. As his vision cleared to see Misaki, he was glad he didn't voice out his thoughts.

"Good Morning." Aichi nodded as he let out a yawn. Sub Manager let out a yawn of his own and hopped off Aichi's lap. "Breakfast is ready." Shizuka's voice called out. Aichi got up and stretched and walked to the kitchen with Misaki. Breakfast wasn't as eventful as last night, which was welcome to Aichi and Misaki. There was a knock on the front door, stopping everyone in their tracks. Shin, being the man of the house, carefully moved to the door. "Who is it?" he called out.

"Detective Eriko Mayano." Aichi and Shizuka stood up at that. "You can let her in, Manager." Aichi said. "She's the detective in charge of Nishino's case." Shin nodded and opened the door. The detective in question was beautiful with long flowing, black hair and grey eyes. Dressed like a professional, she wore a blue business suit with jacket and skirt. "Detective Mayano, it's been a while." Shizuka said.

"When I saw you weren't home, I decided to look into Aichi's teammates. After that, it wasn't hard to find you here." The detective said. "It's good to see you again, Detective." Aichi said. The Detective let out a sad smile. "You too Aichi, and I'm sorry you have to deal with this again." Aichi only shook his head. "No worries. I'll do anything to stop Nishino." Misaki couldn't help but worry when Aichi said 'anything'.

"Now then, has anything happened when word got out that Nishino has escaped?" Detective Mayano asked. "Yes, Detective." Shizuka took out the note and handed it to the detective. "It was set up so he didn't have to write it, but we're not sure what he meant." The Detective took the note and read it. "'Come to the place where it began so it shall be where it ends.'" She held her chin in a thinking manner.

"Any idea what it means?" Emi asked. Detective Mayano blinked at first, but then remembered Shizuka was pregnant when she last saw her. "There are numerous possibilities. It could be where he started his killing streak, it could be where he had his third kill, starting his name as a serial killer. It could even be where he started his career as a Vanguard fighter." She placed the note into her pocket. "I'll take this to HQ to have this processed. Then I'll have officers searching every possible location. If we're lucky, we'll have his location by sundown." She stated.

Shizuka shook the detective's hand. "Thank you so much, Detective." Mayano let out a smile. "My pleasure. For now, you three should stay here." The Sendous nodded. Mayano then said her goodbyes and left.

Shin then turned to the Sendous. "How about we head to Card Capital for today?" Everyone nodded, including Shizuka since she was given time off until Nishino was caught. This gave her the chance to see Aichi's friends.

It didn't take long for the shop to fill up. Shizuka decided to help out at the counter, which Shin was grateful for. Misaki, Emi and Aichi, in the meantime, were fighting with other people in the shop. "I'll attack with Tsukuyomi!" Misaki said. Her opponent had received six damage, giving the fight to Misaki. "I'll end this with Top Idol, Riviere!" Emi had just won her match too. "Go! King of Knights, Alfred!" Aichi shouted, finishing his match.

They were all having so much fun, you would think there _wasn't_ a serial killer on the loose. Just then the shop doors opened. Everyone looked and Aichi and Shizuka couldn't believe who it was.

There were two people standing there. One man who looked a couple of years older than Shizuka and one woman who is about the same age as Shizuka. The woman was downright gorgeous with amber eyes and black hair in a ponytail. She had a purple shirt under a black jacket. She had on a matching black skirt. She also wore purple hoop earings and wore black fingerless gloves and purple high heels. Her lips purple with lipstick smirked at everyone, as if she knew something they didn't.

The man on the other hand had auburn hair and green eyes. He wore a yellow plaid jacket over his black shirt. With tan pants and brown loafers, he looked ready to go on a hike. He let out a big grin, not even bothering to hide his excitement.

"Mitsuru and Ryo?! What are you two doing here?" Shizuka asked. "It's been a while, Shizuka." The woman, Mitsuru, said. "We came to see Aichi." The man, Ryo, explained. Aichi wanted to know why they were there too, so he quickly made his way over, his friends and sister following. "Everyone," Aichi said. "I'd like you to meet Mitsuru Himitsu and Ryotaro Fujieda. Two out of the three Sanctuary Paladins."

**And that's it for the chapter. Hope you enjoyed the song I fit in there. And I know I left some questions. Just what do the Sanctuary Paladins want with Aichi? Will Detective Mayano find Nishino before Aichi can fight him? And just what is Aichi's reason to fight? Be sure to leave a review as I continue on.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Now for the next chapter. Aichi is troubled for he doesn't know his reason to fight. To make matters worse, his Royal Paladins said that he'll lose to Nishino if he can't find it. And now two friends of his mother's, Mitsuru Himitsu and Ryotaro Fujieda, are here to see him. What for? Be ready to find out. Also, to the reviewer who asked if intend on doing a Season 2 for this, I intend on writing a fic for each of the seasons. And now, on with the fic.**

Everyone was silent at Aichi's words. They couldn't believe that two members of one of the top teams in Vanguard was standing before them. "T-the Sanctuary Paladins?!" Kamui shouted, hearing of them before. "They're the team who uses the Paladin Clans, aren't they?" Misaki asked, to which Aichi nodded. But Kai picked up on what they said. "What do you mean you're here to see Aichi?" He asked.

"We heard about Nishino being on the loose. And since we were in the neighborhood, we thought we would come by to see you." Ryo said. "Fortunately, we figured you would be here since this was the shop for Team Q4." Mitsuru said. "And to answer your question Toshiki Kai, why wouldn't we come to see our godson?"

"Godson?!" Everyone who knew Aichi shouted. Shizuka nodded. "Kohaku and I made Mitsuru and Ryo Aichi and Emi's godparents because they were our best friends." She said.

The two Paladins closed their eyes, thinking back on those days. "Man, those were some good times." Ryo said. "You said it." Mitsuru then opened her eyes and turned to Aichi. "I even remember being there when you were born Aichi. I swear, when your mother when into labor, your father was looking so frantic that simply tapping his shoulder would make him jump." She chuckled at his blush.

"Yeah, and I even remember the wedding." Ryo said, snickering. "I couldn't tell who was more nervous, Kohaku or Shizuka." "Watch it." Shizuka warned, giving him a glare that sent shivers down Aichi's spine. And it wasn't even directed at _him_.

"Speaking of Kohaku, do you still have his deck, Aichi?" Aichi nodded, and pulled said deck out to hand it to Mitsuru. All of Aichi's friends were curious, since they've never seen Aichi use that deck.

"How come you didn't use that deck when you started playing, Aichi?" Kamui asked. Aichi smiled. "That deck belonged to my dad. As much as I wanted to use it, I didn't feel like I had the right to. That deck was his and his alone. I wanted to build my own Royal Paladin deck so that I can one day be as good of a Royal Paladin user as he was." Misaki can sympathize with Aichi, since the Oracle Think Tank deck she uses was built by her parents, so it held a lot of memories.

Mitsuru smiled at Aichi's response as she gave the deck back. "An admirable goal Aichi, but I would like to fight you using that deck." Aichi was surprised at her words. Ryo decided to cut in. "Wait, I thought we were only here to talk to Aichi." Ryo said, as he too was surprised at her words. "We are," Mitsuru said. "But I can tell Aichi feels troubled, and I know you can see that too." Ryo couldn't deny her words.

Mitsuru then turned back to Aichi. "I know you're trying to find an answer. The reason I'm asking for you to use that deck is that I'm hoping your father would give you an answer." She then pulled out her Shadow Paladin deck.

"I won't hold it against you if you don't want to, but are you ready?" Mitsuru asked. Aichi looked down at the deck, gazing at the Alfred-Early card at the bottom. "_Dad, if I do fight with your deck, will you lend me your strength?_" As he continued gazing at the card, he couldn't help but feel a slight warmth from the deck, as if it was answering his question.

Aichi turned to Mitsuru, eyes closed. When he opened them, she saw nothing but determination. "I'm ready."

It didn't take long for Aichi and Mitsuru to set up, although Aichi was nervous at the fact that he was about to use his father's deck. Everyone else was watching with anticipation. "This is the first time we get to see a fight with one of the Sanctuary Paladins." Izaki said. "I didn't even know that his father was a part of that team." "Well, if he's anything like Aichi, then this will definitely be a good fight." Miwa said. "Yeah, especially with all of the Grade 3's!" Morikawa yelled in excitement, making Izaki sigh and Miwa chuckle in pity.

"I wonder how Aichi's father used his Royal Paladin deck." Kamui said. "I'm not sure. But since Mr. Sendou was one of the greater Royal Paladin users, he'll likely have Royal Paladins that weren't revealed to the public until years after…he passed." Misaki said, reluctant on finishing the sentence for fear of opening old wounds. Shizuka wondered why Misaki was formal with her late husband's name, but filed it away for later.

"Probably. But this is Aichi fighting, not his father. Who knows how Aichi will use this deck?" Kai pointed out. Ryo chuckled. "Funny you say that…" He began. "Aichi, from what I've seen from the broadcasts, actually fights a lot like his father." Those who didn't know that turned to him in surprise. "He always treasures each unit as an important comrade and friend. And most of all…" Everyone leaned in in anticipation. "They both have a unit they consider their avatars."

Ryo's statement gave everyone except for Shizuka wide eyes. "Then, Aichi may actually have a chance at beating Mitsuru?" Emi asked, turning to Aichi, who was about to draw his hand. "I can't say for sure, Emi." Shizuka said, getting everyone's attention. "But I know that Aichi will give it his all in this." She then closed her eyes. "_Kohaku. I wish you were here to see this._"

When Aichi drew his last card, his eyes widened in surprise. Although the picture was different, there was no mistaking the unit on that card. "Blaster…Blade." Aichi whispered. Mitsuru overheard and smiled. "I've heard that you call Blaster Blade your avatar, right?" Aichi nodded at the question.

"Somehow, your father knew you would cherish that unit above all others." Mitsuru shook her head with a fond smile, making the others wonder how Kohaku knew Aichi's avatar would be Blaster Blade. Then her face turned serious. "Now, it's time to imagine." She said. Aichi nodded and reached to the Vanguard Circle, where his card was set. "Stand up!" They shouted, flipping over their cards. "Vanguard!" (Note: This fight will be using actual cards from the anime and manga. Even ones which came out recently. If you have any suggestions to make these fights better, please let me know.)

_On Cray, Mitsuru and Aichi's spirits had transformed in purple and blue lights respectively. Mitsuru transformed into a pitch-black armored mountain goat with glowing orange eyes, orange energy blades, and neon hooves and horns. "Creeping Dark Goat!" Misturu called out. Aichi had become a white Labrador pup with blue armored bands with energy blades, a helmet, and armor plating on its body. "Libergal!" He called out in return. _

**Mitsuru Himitsu (Turn 1 Start)**

**Clan: Shadow Paladin**

**Hand: 5**

**Soul: 0**

**Field: [Rear Guard(R): N/A] [Vanguard(V): Creeping Dark Goat, Grade(G): 0, Power(P): 4000, High Beast] [R: N/A]**

**[R: N/A] [R: N/A] [R: N/A]**

**Damage: 0 {[N/A] [N/A] [N/A] [N/A] [N/A] [N/A]}**

**Aichi Sendou**

**Clan: Royal Paladin**

**Hand: 5**

**Soul: 0**

**Field: [R: N/A] [V: Libergal G: 0 P: 4000, High Beast] [R: N/A]**

**[R: N/A] [R: N/A] [R: N/A]**

**Damage: 0 {[N/A] [N/A] [N/A] [N/A] [N/A] [N/A]}**

"I'll start off." Mitsuru said, drawing. She looked at her hand before making her move. "I Ride the Witch of Nostrum, Arianrhod!"

_Creeping Dark Goat had been replaced by a woman with silver hair in a ponytail, green eyes behind glasses and holding a beaker in her hand. She was wearing a lab coat and a dark halter top underneath. __**[Witch of Nostrum, Arianrhod, Grade: 1, Power: 7000, Elf]**_

"_Calling Creeping Dark Goat from the Soul." Arianrhod/Mitsuru said as said goat appearing behind her. __**[Creeping Dark Goat, Grade: 0, Power: 4000, High Beast]**_

"I now use Arianrhod's skill." Mitsuru said, turning said card sideways. "By resting Arianrhod, I can discard and draw." As she performed said action, Emi was a bit confused. "Wouldn't resting the Vanguard like that hinder her, even though she gets a new card out of it?" She asked.

"Normally, yes." Kai explained. "But since it's the first turn of the game, she can't attack, meaning she can use that skill without any consequence." "And since she'll be able to Ride on the next turn," Misaki continued. "…she can use that card to its full potential." As this was being said Mitsuru declared the end of her turn.

**Mitsuru (Turn End)**

**Hand: 5**

**Soul: 0**

**Field: [R: N/A] [V: Witch of Nostrum, Arianrhod G: 1 P: 7000(Rest)] [R: N/A]**

**[R: N/A] [R: Creeping Dark Goat G: 0 P: 4000] [R: N/A]**

**Damage: 0 {[N/A] [N/A] [N/A] [N/A] [N/A] [N/A]}**

**Aichi (Turn Start)**

**Hand: 5**

**Soul: 0**

**Field: [R: N/A] [V: Libergal G: 0 P: 4000] [R: N/A]**

**[R: N/A] [R: N/A] [R: N/A]**

**Damage: 0 {[N/A] [N/A] [N/A] [N/A] [N/A] [N/A]}**

"Here goes." Aichi said, drawing. As he looked at each card in his hand, he took one out to play. "I Ride Knight of Steel Wing!" He declared placing the card.

_Libergal had disappeared in light, being replaced with a knight with blond hair and blue eyes. This warrior's armor is well decorated with a greenish blue cloak, wings on his helmet. He also had his spear ready to strike. __**[Knight of Steel Wing, Grade: 1, Power: 6000, Human]**_

"_I call Libergal from the Soul…" Knight of Steel Wing/Aichi started as said unit appeared behind Felax. __**[Libergal, Grade: 0, Power: 4000, High Beast]**__ "…and Little Sage, Marron from the hand!" As Aichi finished that sentence another unit appeared. This one was familiar to everyone since Aichi used him before. Marron was a spellcaster with a spellbook in hand. He had blonde hair and blue eyes and red framed glasses. His robes were blue and white with a matching hat. __**[Little Sage, Marron, Grade: 1, Power: 8000, Giant]**_

Everyone looking at the fight was confused. Sure the Vanguard was stronger, but not by much. "Why would Aichi set it up so that only one attack would have 10000 power?" Kamui asked aloud. "I'm not sure." Misaki said. "I've never even seen those two units before." "Not surprising." Kai stated. "Since Kohaku Sendou was so renowned in the Vanguard world, he would have access to never before seen cards."

Aichi looked at Mitsuru, determined. "Here I come, Mitsuru." He said. "I attack with Marron!" As Mitsuru looked at her hand, she also took note of Marron's and Knight of Steel Wing's Power. "I don't guard."

_Marron had chanted a spell and launched a beam of energy at Arianrhod, making her cringe from the blow._

"I check the damage trigger." Mitsuru said, flipping the top card of her deck over.

**[Abyss Freezer – Draw Trigger]**

"I got a Draw Trigger." Mitsuru said, placing it in the Damage Zone. "I give the power to Arianrhod and draw." She said as she drew.

_Arianrhod recovered from getting hit and gained a purple aura. __**[Arianrhod Power: 7000+5000=12000]**_

The power increase didn't bother Aichi. In fact, he seemed determined. "I boost Knight of Steel Wing with Libergal and attack!"

_An aura seeped from Libergal to Knight of Steel Wing as the warrior got ready to charge. __**[Knight of Steel Wing Power: 6000+4000=10000]**__ As the knight ran across the battlefield, his face took on Aichi's facial features. "Drive Trigger check!" Knight of Steel Wing/Aichi shouted as a card appeared in front of him._

_**[Conjurer of Mythril – No Trigger]**_

_Arianrhod was ready this time, for she threw a flask to the ground, creating a barrier which the Knight of Steel Wing crashed into. "Ow…" The knight muttered before sliding down the barrier like a window. The Witch couldn't help it, but she burst into laughter at that._

Mitsuru was also laughing at the image, much to Aichi's embarrassment. "I'm sorry, Aichi," She started. "But that was one of the funniest images I have ever seen." Ryo was also chuckling at the image. Everyone else had the decency to fight their laughter and/or hide their smiles. Even Kai tried to hold back a chuckle. Aichi shook his head and turned his attention back to the fight as he ended his turn.

**Mitsuru (Turn Start)**

**Hand: 6**

**Soul: 0**

**Field: [R: N/A] [V: Witch of Nostrum, Arianrhod G: 1 P: 7000(Rest)] [R: N/A]**

**[R: N/A] [R: Creeping Dark Goat G: 1 P: 4000] [R: N/A]**

**Damage: 1 {[Abyss Freezer] [N/A] [N/A] [N/A] [N/A] [N/A]}**

**Aichi (Turn End)**

**Hand: 5**

**Soul: 0**

**Field: [R: N/A] [V: Knight of Steel Wing G: 1 P: 6000(Rest)] [R: Little Sage, Marron G: 1 P: 8000(Rest)]**

**[R: N/A] [R: Libergal G: 0 Power: 4000(Rest] [R: N/A]**

**Damage: 0 {[N/A] [N/A] [N/A] [N/A] [N/A] [N/A]}**

"My turn! Stand and draw!" Mitsuru said as she turned Arianrhod right side up. As she drew her card, she carefully took a look at her hand. "I ride Cursed Lancer!"

_Arianrhod had transformed into a big knight in pitch black armor with spikes sticking out of the shoulder plates. He also had plates on his legs and held a lance burning with a blue flame. __**[Cursed Lancer, Grade: 2, Power: 9000, Human]**__ "I activate Creeping Dark Goat's skill!" Cursed Lancer/Mitsuru declared as said unit vanished into particles that flowed into her. "With a Counter Blast and Soul Charge…" She started as Abyss Freezer flipped face down. "I add a Grade 3 Shadow Paladin from the top 5 cards of my deck."_

Mitsuru looks at her options before selecting a card. She revealed it to be Dark Mage, Badhabh Caar. Aichi remembers that unit having the same skill as his Gigantech Charger. "I now call!" She declared, placing three cards down. Knight of Fighting Spirit, Dordona laid next to Cursed Lancer, Black-winged Swordbreaker behind Lancer, and Black Sage, Charon behind Dordona.

_Dordona was a purple skinned swordsman with an armored jacket, exposing his chest, and a light blue sword with a purple gem.__** [Knight of Fighting Spirit, Dordona, Grade: 2, Power: 10000, Human]**__ Charon was a young male with piercing blue eyes, silver hair, in a black and blue robe with a spell book in his hand. __**[Black Sage Charon, Grade: 1, Power: 8000, Giant]**__ Black-winged Swordbreaker is a dark angel with brown braided hair and piercing red eyes, and wearing a black dress with a black horned crown. She had a red jewel on each of her boots, the front of her dress, and on her crown. In each hand, she had a sword ready to strike at a moment's notice. __**[Black-winged Swordbreaker, Grade: 1, Power: 6000, Angel]**__  
"Now with a boost from Swordbreaker, my Vanguard attacks yours!" Lancer/Mitsuru shouted. __**[Cursed Lancer Power: 9000+6000=15000]**__ Lancer charged forth. "Guard with Sage of Guidance, Zenon!" As Aichi said this, said unit appeared in between him and Mitsuru. This Sage is obviously an advisor from the elegant robes he wore while holding his spell book. __**[Knight of Steel Wing Power: 6000+(Sage of Guidance, Zenon Shield: 5000)=11000]**_

_Mitsuru ignored it for now, for she knew even without a trigger, there was too much Power in her attack. "Drive Check!" She shouted, revealing the top card of her deck. Said card flashed a golden light._

_**[Death Feather Eagle – Critical Trigger]**_

_She grew confident at the Trigger. "I give the extra critical to Lancer, and the Power to Dordona!" __**[Cursed Lancer Critical: 1+1=2] [Knight of Fighting Spirit, Dordona Power: 10000+5000=15000]**_

_As Lancer/Mitsuru thrusts her blade through Zenon, he let out a groan before vanishing to the Drop Zone. Lancer then tried to do the same to Knight of Steel Wing/Aichi. Emphasis on _tried_._

"_What?!" Lancer/Mitsuru shouted, for her sword was blocked. Knight of Steel Wing/Aichi was barely holding on, but he made it. __**[Cursed Lancer Power: 15000] [Knight of Steel Wing Power+Shield: 16000]**_

"_Knight of Steel Wing's skill." Aichi said, answering Mitsuru's unspoken question. "Whenever he's attacked, his power is increased by 5000." Mitsuru's eyes widened in realization. __**[Knight of Steel Wing Power+Shield (6000+5000+5000) =16000]**__ Everyone watching the fight also reached the same conclusion. If Mitsuru gave both effects of the Critical trigger to her Vanguard, her attack would've gone through._

"_Well played." She complimented. She then smirked. "But I bet you can't stop Dordona boosted by Charon." She said. __**[Knight of Fighting Spirit Power: 15000+8000=23000]**__ As she stepped back, Dordona charged at Knight of Steel Wing/Aichi, sword glowing. Aichi smirked back. "No bet and no guard." He said as the attack struck true._

Aichi cringed as he felt the imagined attack. "Damage check." Aichi declared, flipping the card over.

**[Rendgal – No Trigger]**

"I end my turn there." Mitsuru said.

**Mitsuru (Turn End)**

**Hand: 5**

**Soul: 2**

**Field: [R: Knight of Fighting Spirit, Dordona G: 2 P: 10000(Rest)] [V:Cursed Lancer G: 2 P: 9000(Rest)] [R:N/A]**

**[R: Black Sage, Charon G: 1 P: 8000(Rest)] [R: Black-winged Swordbreaker G: 1 P: 6000(Rest)] [R:N/A]**

**Damage: 1 {[Abyss Freezer(F)] [N/A] [N/A] [N/A] [N/A] [N/A]}**

**Aichi (Turn Start)**

**Hand: 4**

**Soul: 0**

**Field: [R: N/A] [V: Knight of Steel Wing G: 1 P: 6000(Rest)] [Little sage, Marron G: 1 P: 8000(Rest)]**

**[R: N/A] [R: Libergal G: 0 P: 4000(Rest)] [R: N/A]**

**Damage: 1 {[Rendgal] [N/A] [N/A] [N/A] [N/A] [N/A]}**

"My turn. Stand and draw!" Aichi declared, doing so. He didn't even need to think of what card to play. "_Stand up, my avatar! _Ride!" He shouted, slamming down his card.

"_Blaster Blade!" At the declaration, Knight of Steel Wing had been replaced by Aichi's avatar, Blaster Blade. He stood ready to charge with his white blade in hand and white armor over his blue bodysuit. The red crystals on his armor, helmet, and sword seemed to be overflowing with power. __**[Blaster Blade, Grade: 2, Power: 9000, Human]**_

"_Using Libergal's Counter Blast and Soul Charge…" He started as Libergal vanished, being replaced with five cards. Aichi/Blaster Blade flipped one over to show to Cursed Lancer/Mitsuru. "I add King of Knights, Ezer to my hand." He said, as the cards vanished._

"_Marron, move back!" Blaster Blade/Aichi commanded. The Marron nodded and jumped back. "Call! Conjurer of Mithril!" The new being had golden blond hair with blue horns and red markings on his face. The armor he wore under the blue robe says he's no stranger to battle. The staff he wielded was ready to blast magic at a moment's notice. __**[Conjurer of Mithril, Grade: 2, Power: 7000, Elf]**_

"_Conjurer's skill! If I have a Grade 1 or 2 Royal Paladin on the top card of my deck, I can superior call it." Blaster Blade/Aichi explained._

Aichi flips over the top card of his deck, and smiled at his luck. "Superior call! Wingal!" Aichi declared, placing said card behind Blaster Blade. Wingal's picture is that of a blue furred dog with pink hair, bat winged ears, wearing a red scarf, and a knife scabbard on its front leg. **[Wingal, Grade: 1, Power: 6000, High Beast]**

"Yes! Now Blaster Blade can attack with his full power!" Kamui shouted. Shizuka smiled at how well her son was doing. Everyone else shared the excitement, but Mitsuru looked interested at Aichi's play. "_Getting Wingal out of all of the other cards in the deck is highly unlikely. Especially when Blaster Blade is the Vanguard. Could it be 'that' power?_" She then gained a knowing smile. "_What am I saying? It's obvious that Aichi has as much of a bond with the Royal Paladins as Kohaku did, even without 'that'._" She then got a determined look on her face. "_But one question remains. Will he be able to find his reason to fight?_"

Aichi was too into the fight to notice Mitsuru thinking, but Ryo on the other hand saw it and gave a smile. "_That Misturu. To this day, she still tries to solve the mystery that is Kohaku Sendou. The enigma that only Shizuka saw through._" As he looked toward the fight, he saw Aichi's determined look. "_Aichi is in many ways like his father, but let's see if he can find his reason to fight as fast as Kohaku did._"

Unknown to Ryo, Misaki also saw the look on Mitsuru's face and couldn't help but think. "_Why was Mitsuru looking at Aichi like that? It was as if she's wondering how Aichi was able to play Wingal at that exact moment."_ Misaki then narrowed her eyes. "_Aichi is no cheater. I'm sure Misturu sees that too, so why is she so interested?_" Her mind then wandered to before the fight. "_And another thing. Mitsuru said that Aichi was searching for an answer. An answer to what? Is something going on more than that maniac Nishino?_" She then clenched her fist. "_Regardless of what happens, if Nishino wants to go after Aichi, he'll have to go through _me_ first!_" Shizuka saw Misaki's fist clench and decided to speak with her after the fight.

"With a boost from Marron…" Aichi started. **[Conjurer of Mithril Power: 7000+8000=15000]**

"_Mithril attacks the Vanguard!" Said unit had begun to charge at Lancer/Mitsuru. "I don't guard." That was all that Mitsuru said before the Conjurer struck her with the staff. "Damage Trigger check!" Lancer/Mitsuru declared revealing a card._

_**[Nightmare Painter – No Trigger]**_

"_Wingal, it's time for a boost." Blaster Blade/Aichi said. The blue dog nodded as he transferred his power. "Wingal's skill grants a bonus to Blaster Blade." He said. __**[Blaster Blade Power: 9000+6000+4000=19000]**__ As Blaster Blade/Aichi charged, Lancer/Mitsuru braced herself. "I guard with Death Feather Eagle and Apocalypse Bat!" She declared as the Critical Trigger from before appeared. This eagle could be mistaken for a raven for the pitch black feathers, red talons, and armor over the wings and head. The bat accompanying it was pitch black with light blue lines glowing across the wings. The eyes were glowing red and is carrying a black and blue chariot. __**[Cursed Lancer Power: 9000+(Death Feather Eagle Shield: 10000)+(Apocalypse Bat Shield: 5000=15000)=24000]**_

"_Drive Trigger Check!" Blaster Blade/Aichi shouted, revealing a card._

_**[Knight of Silence, Gallatin – No Trigger]**_

_Blaster Blade/Aichi was able to strike down Dordona and Eagle, but Lancer/Mitsuru was able to parry his sword._

Aichi retained his determined look despite his attack failing. Mitsuru smirked, as if amused by his determination. "Bats! Blaster Blade's full power didn't work." Kamui said. "'Bats?'" Ryo voiced, amused. "I think you mean 'rats', Kamui." Emi corrected, Kamui's face going a full red. "And now that Mitsuru's turn is coming up…" Kai started. "She'll intend on going all out at this point." Miwa finished. "Aichi." Misaki merely said, worried about him.

**Mitsuru (Turn Start)**

**Hand: 3**

**Soul: 2**

**Field: [R: Knight of Fighting Spirit, Dordona G: 2 P: 10000(Rest)] [V: Cursed Lancer G: 2 P: 9000(Rest)] [R: N/A]**

**[R: Black Sage, Charon G: 1 P: 8000(Rest)] [R: Black-winged Swordbreaker G: 1 P: 6000(Rest)] [R: N/A]**

**Damage: 2 {[Abyss Freezer(F)] [Nightmare Painter] [N/A] [N/A] [N/A] [N/A]}**

**Aichi (Turn End)**

**Hand: 5**

**Soul: 2**

**Field: [R: N/A] [V: Blaster Blade G: 2 P: 9000(Rest)] [R: Conjurer of Mithril G: 2 P: 7000(Rest)]**

**[R: N/A] [R: Wingal G: 1 P: 6000(Rest)] [Little Sage, Marron G: 1 P: 8000(Rest)]**

**Damage: 1 {[Rendgal(F)] [N/A] [N/A] [N/A] [N/A] [N/A]**

"Stand and Draw!" As Mitsuru performed said action, she looked like she was pondering something. "Tell me, Aichi. Do you know the lore behind the Shadow Paladins?" Aichi took on a confused face. "Well, I know that they are the opposite of the Royal Paladins. And some of them have mirror images like Blaster Blade and Blaster Dark." "Precisely. The Shadow Paladins are Royal Paladins who have turned their backs on the Royal Paladin ways. Because of this, there are many Shadow Paladins who mirror Royal Paladins. Their main contrast is that there is often deceit among the ranks." Mitsuru explained. "Hence why Phantom Blaster Dragon requires sacrificing units to use its powers. It's an act of judgement on traitors." Aichi realized. "Correct." Mitsuru said.

She then smiled. "There are, however, Shadow Paladins that truly mirror their Royal Paladin counterparts. Allow me to demonstrate." She then took a card from her hand and rose it high into the air. "_Born from the shadow of the King, enter the fray and eclipse the battlefield!_ Ride!" Mitsuru slammed the card on top of Cursed Lancer.

"_The Dark Dictator!" Cursed Lancer was replaced by a figure that shocked Blaster Blade/Aichi to the core. The Dark Dictator was a mirror image of King of Knights, Alfred. The only differences being the armor, sword, and cape. All of which are pitch black and said Shadow Paladin wasn't mounted on a horse. __**[The Dark Dictator, Grade: 3, Power: 10000, Human]**_

Everyone who didn't know about that card was shocked. "I-it looks j-just like…" Kamui stuttered. "…Alfred." Kai said, just as surprised as everyone else. Aichi was shocked. "Prepare yourself, Aichi." Mitsuru said. "For the true trial has just begun!" Images appeared of Blaster Blade facing Dark Dictator with a spirit of Kohaku Sendou behind it.

**A/N: I was thinking of continuing this fight, but I figured I kept you waiting long enough. To those who watch Cardfight Vanguard G, I'm going to try and put in units that don't require cards in the Generation Zone. Anyway, let me know how you think of the fight so far. Oh, and please tell me what you thought of The Dark Dictator's introduction. I use Shadow Paladins myself and want to know if the chant is a good one. **_**Ja ne, minna.**_


End file.
